With the recent increase in cases of herpes among millennials, dating website MeetPositives extends their well-established community to those who seek support.

2019's staging of the acclaimed music festival Coachella has brought a concerning matter to the surrounding communities. Multiple reports have shown that the areas neighboring the festival have seen a substantial increase in the incidence of herpes cases. The Coachella Herpes Outbreak, as many news sources have called it, is thought to have begun as early as the first few days following the festival’s launch.

HerpAlert, an online clinic which allows its patients to upload pictures of the affected area and receive advice and any necessary prescription, noted a rapid patient increase in the few days after the start of the music festival. The online clinic saw a tenfold increase from their average number of patients per day that kept increasing over time and now amounts to more than 1,105 reported cases.

This alarming development attracted the attention of MeetPositives, a unique dating website that offers a platform for STD positive singles to seek a partner, or the support they need within the platform’s well-established community. MeetPositives allows people to consider dating with herpes, where the website matches its community members based on physical proximity, preferences, and type of STD. As the website states, "If everything goes well, they may even find a life-long partner." In general, MeetPositives seeks to offer STD positive singles a place where they can share experiences, support each other, and even find love.

The number one STD Dating website said, "At MeetPositives.com, we know that being diagnosed with an STD can be devastating and demoralizing. We are familiar with the challenges that positive people encounter during the first few weeks after a diagnosis, as well as the challenges that time will bring forth. We know how hard these times can be, but one does not have to face them alone."

The website's commitment towards supporting the community is illustrated throughout their website, as they have entire sections dedicated to a variety of subjects, such as a list of herpes symptoms in both men and women. The dating platform uses this and other resources to outline the disease's symptoms, advising their visitors on the appropriate steps to take when they suspect an infection.

Jack Lombardi, CEO of MeetPositives, spoke about the most common challenges that a positive person encounters when trying to date after being diagnosed with an STD, saying: "It is all too common that couples get together and do not talk about their sexual health before becoming intimate. This typically puts them into a position where they feel like disclosing their condition is too late. When this situation happens, it is only a matter of time before their guilt starts to play a role in the destruction of the new relationship. The couple will have to face the truth about one of them having an STD but by the time this happens, both partners will have the disease and will most likely break up. Meeting others who suffer from the same conditions can offer peace of mind. Our members understand each other, understand their fears, and are looking forward to feeling normal again."

Members of MeetPositives's community have another aspect in common: most agree that the platform has helped them deal with both their diagnosis and the challenges that they have encountered afterward. However, the organization states that their ultimate goal is to, "Make dating fun, and easier for STD positive people." The platform keeps all personal contact information private until the user decides to disclose it themselves, making the dating process much safer for all involved.

For more information on the MeetPositive’s platform, interested parties may visit the company's website, or reach out directly to Jack Lombardi. They may also connect with MeetPositives through their official social media channels, where the website regularly shares updates regarding the news, updates to their blog, and other resources.